-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As they meet for the first time Tuesday , U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexico 's President-elect Enrique PeÃ ± a Nieto will be operating in a landscape of U.S.-Mexico relations that has changed profoundly since Mexico 's outgoing president , Felipe Calderon , took office six years ago .

Illegal immigration is at the lowest level in four decades , and organized crime violence , which has driven much of recent cooperation between the two countries , is finally declining .

Violence remains a critical issue , but economic issues -- bilateral and global -- have risen to the fore as both countries struggle to emerge from the global slowdown . The two leaders will need to give greater emphasis to economic issues , including job creation . But this is also an opportunity to strengthen cooperation on global issues .

In most trading relationships , the United States simply buys goods or sells them to other countries . With its neighbors Mexico and Canada , however , the United States actually co-manufactures products . Roughly 40 % of all content in Mexican exported to the United States originates in the United States .

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The comparable figures with China , Brazil and India are 4 % , 3 % and 2 % , respectively . Only Canada , at 25 % , is close . The U.S. and Mexican economies are so deeply linked , growth in one country benefits the other , and lowering the transaction costs of goods crossing the border helps put money in the pockets of workers and consumers .

To do this , it will be important to improve border ports of entry by investing in infrastructure and staffing , as well as implementing new risk management techniques to speed up trusted shipments across the border .

Pursuing an Open Skies Agreement between the two nations ' airlines and making the cross-border trucking pilot program -- in which Mexican truckers can carry goods deep into the United States and vice versa -- would also strengthen competitiveness . Although these are generally seen as border issues , the benefits accrue to U.S. states that depend on exports and joint manufacturing with Mexico , including Michigan , Illinois , Ohio , Nebraska , Iowa , South Dakota , New Hampshire and Georgia .

Mexico also has abundant oil reserves and one of the four or five largest stocks of shale gas in the world . Mexico 's new government will probably pursue major energy reform over the next couple of years that could spur oil and gas production in dramatic ways . If that happens , it is certain to detonate a cycle of investment in the Mexican economy and could significantly contribute to discussions on possible North American energy security .

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Obama and PeÃ ± a Nieto 's administrations also offer a time for critical opportunities in education . With an ambitious but inexpensive public and private venture to spur educational exchange , Mexico could train its next generation of engineers , scientists and medical professionals in U.S. universities while American students enjoy access to Spanish and other cultural competencies in Mexico that they need to compete in the global economy .

Without doubt , security cooperation will also remain a critical part of the relationship between the nations . With most of the largest drug trafficking organizations crippled , it is time to focus on strategies that lessen violence and build the rule of law .

The U.S. government can still do a great deal more to reduce money laundering and arms trafficking , and the Mexican government has its work cut out to reform its police , prosecutors and courts . These efforts can be far more effective if the nations work together to benefit the safety and security of citizens in both countries .

Migration is the one issue the two leaders will talk about Tuesday that matters a great deal to both nations but does not lend itself easily to a bilateral agreement . But the enormous drop in Mexican immigration to the United States -- most studies show that illegal immigration has dropped to net zero and may be negative -- allows the two countries to think seriously about what Mexico might be willing to do to police its borders if the United States undertakes a major overhaul of its immigration laws .

Finally , as Mexico continues to grow economically , it will be increasingly possible for the two governments to focus on global challenges . This has already started . Mexico hosted the G-20 earlier this year and also joined the talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement , which led to extensive discussions between the two governments on global economic issues .

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Trade , security and migration will undoubtedly remain the most important topics as the two leaders meet . But as the bilateral relationship develops , relations between the nations might one day resemble those between the United States and Canada , in which global issues can be equally important .

A balanced and wide-ranging U.S.-Mexico agenda -- one that seeks creative and collaborative approaches on topics ranging from local gangs to global terrorist networks and from regional supply chains to international finance -- promises significant benefits to people in both nations in the coming years .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers .

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Writers ; Obama and Mexico 's next president meet in opportunity for improved ties

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They say economic issues loom large as immigration and crime issues recede

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Writers : Circumstances are favorable for new mutally beneficial trade , security pacts

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As bilateral agenda progresses , they say , two nations can cooperate on global issues